The Guilt Economy The notion that Gen Z has given up on traditional wealth building and is instead chasing alternative assets like cryptocurrency and meme stocks has been a staple of financial media this year.
However, according to U. S. Bank's 2026 Wealth Report, this narrative may be more myth than reality.
When questioned about the so called "financial nihilism" phenomenon, Scott Ford, president of Wealth Management at U. S. Bank, stated that it doesn't exist. "By and large, I would say the answer is no," he said.